South Africa has two species of monkeys, both are found in KwaZulu-Natal, where I live. Vervet Monkeys visiting daily around the garden find fruit, berries and flowers. Not to mention the bird feeder with seeds and brown bread for the birds, if the monkeys arrive tough luck to the birds, they take it all.
When visiting St Lucia Estuary, northern part of the province you will find the Samango Monkey living in the forested area, whilst visiting we have always had Vervet monkeys coming through suburbia, I have never noticed Samango monkeys come into town.
Samango Monkey
Colouring of the Samango is slightly different to the Vervet, they are bigger in size by about 2-3 kilograms. Males have a harem social structure, females and subadult monkeys live together as families.
Samango Monkeys are found in other regions of Africa, here in South Africa more along the coastal belt in areas that suit them, St Lucia being one area and in the Afro-montane forests of Mpumalanga.
Vervet Monkey
Smaller in size, mischievous in character, live in large troops that break into smaller troops when males leave at puberty to start their own troop. Vervet monkeys are found in many regions of our country.
Time to use the putt-putt course for some fun and grooming!
Beautiful long tail for jumping through the trees, this youngster keeping a close eye out for any sudden moves.
Vervet moving along our garden wall, yes that was the last of the bird food still being tucked away.
Other than the size of these two monkeys, colouring of a Vervet being slightly more silver/grey, the black of the face on the Vervet is more predominant with the white eyebrows, these slight differences don't make an impact until when seeing them in the wild, you realize they definitely have ways of living to tell them apart.
Photography is my own, taken with Canon PowerShot A530
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